I assembled the strongest swordsman group.

The teahouse that Natsume Tsuki praised so highly gave Sanako her first impression of being remote and dilapidated.

This shop is located in an inconspicuous street, and its rather dilapidated facade, to put it more nicely, is "full of history".

"Although this shop looks shabby and out of the way, the wagashi (Japanese sweets) they make here are really delicious!"

From the changes in Sanako's expression, Natsume Tsuki guessed what Sanako was thinking. She said to Sanako in a firm tone, "This shop really won't disappoint you," and then excitedly led Sanako to lift the curtain and enter the shop.

There weren't many customers in the shop right now... except for a table in the corner where four samurai were quietly sipping tea.

"Boss! I'm here again!" Natsume Tsuki raised his arms high and greeted a middle-aged man with mostly white hair who was busy at the counter.

"Oh, it's Ms. Natsume." The shopkeeper smiled slightly. "Good afternoon, Ms. Natsume."

"Good afternoon, boss! I brought a friend with me today!"

……

After exchanging pleasantries with the owner, choosing a table to sit at, and selecting the snacks they wanted to eat, the two women sat facing each other at the chosen table, sipping the warm tea that the owner had just brought and quietly waiting for the wagashi (Japanese sweets) to be served.

"Miss Sanako, did you know? Something seems to have happened at Tenshōin..."

Natsume Tsuki seems to have an endless supply of topics, from national affairs to local gossip, she constantly finds new topics to chat about with Sanako.

Thanks to her chattiness, the wait for the fruit to be prepared and served was not boring.

Sanako made casual remarks while sipping her rather pleasant-tasting tea.

Before she knew it, she had emptied the teacup in her hand.

She raised her head and looked towards the kitchen, ready to ask the owner to refill her cup of tea.

But at that very moment, something happened.

Sanako suddenly felt her vision distort and her body sway.

When she realized it was intense dizziness, she was already unconscious and unable to speak.

"Miss Sanako... um...!"

Natsume Tsuki, sitting across the table, noticed Sanako's unusual behavior and made a nervous sound.

To Sanako, her voice sounded as if it came from afar.

Natsume Tsuki barely managed to call out "Sanako-san" before she raised her hand to cover her head in pain and let out a terrified whimper.

Even the most foolish person would realize what's happening upon seeing this scene.

Sanako tried to stand up and shout, but she could no longer control any muscle in her body.

Darkness began to fill my field of vision.

In an instant, Sanako saw something.

It turned out to be an irregular pattern on the dining table.

No, I can't faint... Just as Sanako thought this, her consciousness completely disappeared.

She collapsed face down on the dining table.

At almost the same moment, Natsume Tsuki, who had lost consciousness, also collapsed onto the dining table...

……

……

After the two women both fainted

The only guests in the teahouse besides Sanako and the others—the four samurai who had been sitting around the table in the corner—stood up expressionlessly and quickly walked to the two unconscious women.

"Why are there two girls... Which one is Natsume Tsuki?"

"The one who looks a little younger is Natsume Tsuki."

"Who is that woman sitting opposite Natsume Tsuki...? Wow! Upon closer inspection, she's really beautiful!"

"Hey, didn't you say that Natsume Tsuki usually only comes to this teahouse for sweets alone? What are we going to do now? How are we going to deal with this beautiful woman who's with Natsume Tsuki?"

"Why don't we just kidnap her too? Such a beautiful woman, it would be such a waste not to kidnap her and have some fun with her! I think this woman is even more beautiful than the courtesan of Yoshiwara!"

"I agree! Wow, looking closer, this woman is not only beautiful, but she also has a great figure. And her breasts are huge! Look, they're filling out her kendo uniform so much! Tsk tsk tsk!"

"Hey, wait a minute! This woman looks like 'Chiba's Oni Komachi'!"

*******

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Please vote with monthly tickets! Please vote with recommendation tickets! (Leopard crying.jpg)

The author couldn't find the name of Princess Date, whose tutor was Ms. Sanako, only that she was the princess of the Uwajima Domain. Therefore, this book will continue to refer to her as "Princess Date" (leopard dead.jpg).

If any readers can find out the name of this "Little Princess Ida," please be sure to let the author know! (Hands clasped in prayer.jpg)

Chapter 176 Rescue Sanako! (Part 1) [7700]

The person who recognized Sanako was a young samurai whose features were still quite delicate, but whose fierce, slanted eyes ruined the overall beauty of his face.

“‘Chiba’s Oni Komachi’? Oh! You mean Chiba Sanako from ‘Okemachi Chiba’?” someone responded.

Because the Chiba Sword Hall is located in Okemachi, it is commonly referred to as "Okemachi Chiba".

"Chiba Sanako, hehehe, perfect!"

The person speaking now is a young man standing next to the "slanted-eyed samurai," with three-white eyes, a flat nose, and thick lips, whose every word and action gives people a very strong feeling of sleazy.

Just now, it was this guy who was being rude to Sanako.

"I've long admired this beauty. Hehehe, what luck! I only intended to kidnap Natsume Tsuki, but I ended up grabbing the famous Chiba Sanako in the process. Hiss...! I never thought I'd have the chance to play with such a wonderful woman in my lifetime... Ugh!"

Before the sleazy-looking "flat-nosed youth" could finish speaking, his remaining words turned into a cry of pain.

The "slanted-eye samurai" standing beside him threw a punch, which landed squarely on the cheek of the "flat-nosed youth".

The "slanted-eye samurai" used considerable force... The "flat-nosed youth" was sent flying, only stopping after crashing into a dining table. His cheeks were instantly swollen and red, and a thin stream of pale red liquid, a mixture of saliva and blood, trickled from the corner of his mouth.

"Chiba Sadakichi of the Chiba Sword Hall once did Mr. Jinno a favor."

The "slanted-eyed samurai" spoke with a tone so cold it was as if he could spit out ice shards at any moment.

"To lay a hand on Chiba Sadakichi's daughter, Chiba Sanako... How many heads do you have for Mr. Kanno to chop off?"

The "flat-nosed youth" who had been knocked away struggled to his feet. He was initially filled with resentment after being punched by the "slanted-eye samurai," but upon hearing the name "Mr. Kanno," his resentment vanished like a deflated balloon.

The only emotions remaining on his face were shrinking back and fear.

"...So what do we do now?" someone said to the "slanted-eyed samurai" in a deep voice. "Our only target is this Natsume Tsuki."

"Now we've caught one more person, and that person is none other than the famous Chiba Sanako... What should we do?"

“We can’t just let her go, can we? We can’t let the outside world know that ‘Natsume Sohachiro’s daughter has gone missing.’”

"How about... we kill Chiba Sanako?"

As he spoke, the man coldly raised his hand and made a throat-slitting gesture across his own neck.

"No way!" the "slanted-eyed samurai" retorted sharply without hesitation. "Didn't I just say that? Chiba Sadakichi has done a favor for Mr. Jinno. If we were to harm Chiba Sadakichi's daughter, who knows how Mr. Jinno would react!"

"...Tsk!" The samurai who had just suggested killing Chiba Sanako clicked his tongue impatiently, then gestured forcefully towards Sanako, who was lying unconscious on the table. "So, what should we do with this woman?"

Under the watchful eyes of everyone, the "slanted-eyed samurai" pondered for a moment, then gritted his teeth:

"...Tie her and Natsume Tsuki together and take them back!"

"Let Mr. Jinno decide for himself how to deal with this woman."

The others looked at each other, then nodded in agreement.

There is no other safer or less error-prone method than this.

"Th-that..."

At that moment, a voice with a slightly trembling tone rang out from behind the "Hanging Eyes Samurai" and the others.

The owner of this teahouse... the middle-aged man with half-gray hair who had just been greeting and exchanging pleasantries with Natsume Tsuki, now timidly stepped out of the kitchen.

"I...I have already put the medicine in Ms. Natsume's and the others' tea as you instructed."

"Can you release my wife and children as agreed?"

"I promise, I guarantee I won't tell anyone what happened today!"

The boss's head drooped, his back was bent, and his face showed a pleading expression... He presented an extremely humble posture.

After the boss finished speaking in such a humble tone, "the samurai with slanted eyes" and the others glanced at him sideways.

Bang!

The "slanted-eyed warrior" stomped his foot on the ground with a loud thud.

He leaped up and pounced on his boss, spreading his arms wide and forcefully encircling the boss's head—

Click!

The boss's head was turned 180 degrees.

They turned to face the back of the head that should have been behind them, and to face the front of their face that should have been in front of them.

The boss died suddenly before he could even utter a cry of pain.

"We're sorry, but compared to trusting that you will keep your promise and not tell anyone what happened today... we still think it's easier and safer to keep you from ever speaking out."

"At this time of national crisis, every individual in this country needs to contribute their efforts."

"Your sacrifice will further contribute to our great cause of 'expelling the barbarians'."

Having said that, the "slanted-eyed samurai" slowly released his boss from his arms...

"Remember to take this man's body with you later, then tie it to a stone and throw it into Edo Bay."

There was no trace of remorse or guilt on his face.

……

……

As soon as he returned to the settlement, Aoto saw Harada's smug face.